Kentucky hoops fans were left wanting after last season's disastrous tournament exit in the Round of 32. The team that at one point had been dubbed "Noah's Ark" because of their apparent depth went on to produce one of the worst tournament losses in the program's storied history. Sure, injuries played a big part in it all, but there was something more.
Back in January, Cats legend Jack "Goose" Givens took a stand on the radio, calling out the 2025-26 squad that didn't always show up. "I can tell by watching them in warm-ups," Givens said. "That’s why we get there early... Sometimes I can tell. They’re just not as sharp as they need to be." The Goose had spoken and, in the end, he was right.
Goose took his storied analysis a step further yesterday. Speaking to UK Sports Network, he explained what is standing out to him about this year's group compared to last year's. "Compared to last year, this team seems to love practice. There were times last year when I had to question whether or not they wanted to be here. These guys really want to work." We'll take that and run, BBN.
Naturally, the question then becomes: How in the world do players making millions of dollars let go of the rope that easily?
Filling in the Picture
Last year's roster was one of the highest-paid rosters in college basketball history at the time. If they really didn't care about practice, and had someone with local stature like Goose questioning their "want," if you will, that fills in some of the picture.
That explains the slow starts, the blowouts, and the offense's struggles to get going all year long. So, it's more than welcome news to my ear that Mark Pope's third-ever Kentucky team is leaning toward the opposite end of the spectrum. It harkens back to what made year one so special under Pope.
Guys like Ansley Almonor, Koby Brea, Amari Williams, Lamont Butler, and Andrew Carr constantly talked about how special it was to be a part of Kentucky's history. They gave all they had, every game; whether or not it ended up being enough had nothing to do with their desire to win in the blue and white.
Goose's Thrilling New Report
And to be fair, last year's team wasn't a total loss by any means. But regarding the bigger picture, Goose is right. That's why his latest report should thrill the Big Blue Nation.
Kentucky Basketball is a tradition that can't be matched, and the players have to buy into that more than anyone else. We all know that the BBN can be a lot to handle, both good and bad. But the potential to be special, the kind of special that is remembered for generations, can only be found at a few schools in college basketball. Kentucky is one of those.
When it comes to that possibility, this group seems to be off to a great start, according to (the not always positive) Goose Givens himself.
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